Homosexuality in Micronesia

Nicloy, Major Scott; Hezel, Francis X. (2006-07-15). [www.micsem.org Homosexuality in Micronesia]. Micronesian Counselor (Report). Kolonia, Pohnpei: Micronesian Seminar. pp. 1–10.

• Has attachment: File:JNCBZEZS.pdf

Abstract: "As an evangelical pastor and a certified addictions counselor who works with gay, lesbian, and bisexual (GLB) people, I often get asked to address the subject of homosexuality. I have just as often set such requests aside, as I have no desire to be involved in controversial issues. However, a gay friend recently sent me an email describing how he was told by an evangelical pastor to burn in hell and was then threatened with physical violence if he should ever again attend church. Around the same time, I was corresponding with Fr. Fran Hezel about the problem of known or suspected GLB people in Micronesia being harassed at the workplace. Prompted by these two occurrences, along with my own counseling caseload involving sexual orientation concerns and various requests from concerned people, I decided to address the issue of the challenges faced by gay, lesbian, and bisexual people in Micronesia.

One of the problematic aspects of the whole homosexual debate is the issue of people yelling and screaming at each other when they are not even talking about the same thing. Consequently, it is best to define some key terms in reference to human sexuality: Sexual orientation is biological; it is about what you feel; Sexual conduct is behavioral; it is about what you do; Sexual identity is cognitive; it is about how you define yourself as a sexual person.

Usually, unless someone says something about their sexual orientation issues or is engaging in overt behavior, there really is no way to tell if a person is gay or straight. Movie star Rock Hudson was for years considered the paradigm of male masculinity, a hunk of male protoplasm that made young girls scream in delight and older women swoon with longing. Hudson often starred in leading romantic male roles in various hit movies. At one point he was even married. In real life, however, Rock Hudson was gay to the marrow of his bones. For years Robert Reed played the handsome idealized husband and the perfect father on the popular TV sitcom series “The Brady Bunch.” In real life, nonetheless, Reed was a gay man, even though he was once married and he had a daughter by that marriage. Currently, Chad Allen, an openly gay actor, plays a straight man in the movie End of the Spear that honors five slain evangelical missionaries. Some gay men like Hudson, Reed, and Allen play straight men in the movies and on TV; other gay men play straight men throughout their whole lives. Some are in fact very good at it. In fact, some gay men are so good at playing straight roles that they have convinced themselves that they are straight, even when that is not the case..."